ASHBURTON.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13332, 26 January 1909, Page 9

ASHBURTON.

After several oppressively hot days, and following on a fierce nor'-wester on Sunday -morning, there was a sudden divange in the weather at Ashburton on .Sunday evening. Rain set in about, seven o'clock and continued without abat«_*___. till about seven yesterday morning, when the rain gauge in the Domain showed that for "tho twelve hours 1.2 inches had fallen, making a total of 4.56 inches for tho first twenty-four days of the month. Showers fell again in the afternoon, but lot* last evening the weather showed signs of olearing. A lot of oats wore reaped and stocked __* week, and should the weather be fine farmers will be very busy again this week, as there is a very wide area now ready for the reaper. Mr Henry Maguinnesa, who resides on tihe bank of. the river on the north side of the Ashburton river, opposite Tho TV>rks, is _he fortunate owner of extraordinarily good crops this season, his fields presenting a sight that would gladden the heart of any farmer. His Canadian oats, of whioh he has an area of 180 acres under crop, stand seven feet high: his Siberian oats (200 acres) attain-a height of six fee., -while the w_ea_.;(lso acres) stands quite six feet high. Although so tall. t_e crops are rerv robn .t. and have not suffered from the winds and rain _____ prevailed some timo ago, and stand ereot. The work of. harvesting is now in operation, and it is found neccssarv to set tho machines as high as possible so. as not to take "too much straw. Despite this the sheaves will bo of quite uimstial ]__.«_., while the stubble will be nearly two' feet in leng.th. The oats are estimated to yield from seventy to seventyfive bushels per aore, while the return from fcho wheat should be over sixty bushels. The other crops in the vicinity of Mr Maeminness _ farm ___■ uniformly exceptionally j_ood, and the return in ihe neighbourhood promises to constitute a record.